Our Hurricane Ready Guide is brought to you by the Virginia Department of Transportation and these preferred businesses:

Hurricane Ready Guide

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June through November. Peak season for tropical storms is usually mid-August through late September. For full information about how to prepare for hurricanes or other threats, visit ReadyVirginia.gov, your comprehensive resource for emergency preparedness in Virginia. Also check out VDOT's Interactive Hurricane Evacuation Guide.

Here are some important things you should do before a tropical storm or hurricane hits your area:

Remove weak and dead trees or tree limbs on your property, bring trashcans indoors, and secure outdoor furniture and other large objects.

If your house is in danger of being hit by a hurricane, protecting windows and sliding glass doors is almost always the number one thing you can do to ensure you'll have a livable house if the worst happens. Click here for more info.

Have plans for where you will go if you evacuate, when you will leave (maybe early to avoid traffic jams), and how family members will contact each other. Click here for VDOT's Hurricane Evacuation Guide, which includes Hampton Roads evacuation route.

If you might have to evacuate, have a "grab and run" bag ready with important papers, such as your homeowners’ insurance policy, and prescription drugs.

If you live outside possible storm surge zones, and your house is sturdy, you should plan on riding out the storm in a "safe room" inside the house.

Evacuation Orders

Evacuation orders keep residents safe from storm surge. They are intended to protect those living or working in low-lying areas from the affects of storm surge or flooding. If local officials call for an evacuation, it may be for specific areas only. Find out if you live in an area that could flood because of storm surge by reviewing the VDEM maps.

Before, during and after a disaster, it is vital that you listen to your local news for the most up-to-date information from emergency officials. Local news stations will broadcast critical instructions from local, state and federal government officials, such as:
• Evacuation orders for specific areas
• Details on evacuation routes
• Locations of evacuation shelters
• How to stay safe if not ordered to evacuate
• Where to find assistance
• Weather watches and warnings

Because it is sometimes safer to stay at home, it is important that you listen for local instructions. Whether you are ordered to evacuate or not, you should always prepare your home or business for high winds, debris and flooding, ahead of the storm.